Pneumatic swimming belt and method of making same



Sept. 11, 192 3.

J. M. WELCH PNEUMATIC SWIMMING BELT AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed NOV. 11. 1922 citizen of the United Method of Patented Sept. ll, i923.

arrays STATES JOHN'- M. WELCH, or es MOINES, rev/A.

P EUMATIC swI- Mme EL'r Ann mgrron or MAKING SAME.

Application filed November 11, 19 22. Serial No. 600,283.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, JOHN M. WELCI'I, a States, and a resident of Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Pneumatic Swimming Beltand Making Same, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to pIOVldG. a pneumatic swimming belt of simple, du-

rable and inexpensive construction which may be packed and carried 1n a very small place when deflated, and when inflated it may be secured around the wearers waist and both the inner and outer surfaces'will remain substantially flat and parallel-with each other, and substantially all of the ex pansion due to the inflation wlll occur at .the top and bottom edges so that when the device is thus applied it will be firmly secured in position and at the same time Wlll.

' not interfere with the operators movements in swimming or be likely to become dislodged from the wearers body.

A further object is to provide animproved method of constructing a swimming belt of this class by-which theresults referred to in the foregoing statement of objects may be attained. u

My invention consists III the construction,

arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, and 1n the process of makingsame, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in'my claims, and 11- lustrated inth'e accompanying drawings, in

which:

Figure 1 shows a top or plan V ew of the swimming belt embodying my IIIVGIIlZlOII,"

with the ends connected as when in use.

Figure 2 shows a frontelevation on an enlarged scaleof the ad acentends of the swimming belt connected with each other.

Figure 3 shows a central, longitudinal, sectional view through the end of the swim ming bclt'containing the air valve.

Figure 4 shows an enlarged, transverse.

sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 1- and Figure 5 shows a sectional view on the line 5 5 of Figure 4, showing one edge member of the swimming belt partly disconnected from the adjacent side member.

' Referring to the aceompanylng drawings itjwill be seen-that my improved swimming The upper belt is circular in outline and has a general contour of a belt. It'swalls are composed of four independentlayers of material,- each layer preferably consists of a woven fabric member and a thin rubber member vulcanizedorotherwise secured to the fabric memleer.

The inner and outer member or walls of theswimming belt are indicated by the numerals 10 and11 respectively, and each is the threads all run diagonally relative to the longitudinal axis of the member.

he edges of the top and bottom wall members are preferably made to'overlap the outer surface of said wall members, and are firmly united to them. i I In the manufacture of the parts of the swimming belt before described, I'preferably proceed as follows: v and lower wall members are cut from the woven'fabric on'the bias and then the edge thereof lies'adjacent to the inner wall 10 and is made tooverlap' the inner wall asshown in Figure 4:, and is secured thereto first by'a row' of stitches as indicated at 14c, and this is done before the fabric is stretched in any way. Then after one 'edge has thus beensecured, the remainder of the fabric is stretched out along its longitudinal center and the opposite edge is then overlapped around the outer 'wallll v and permanently secured thereto, either by a row of stitches, as indicatedat 15, or vuleanizing or otherwise securing theparts together. I I

By means of this method of construction,

the body of'the swimming belt, when inflated to the proper degree, will assume the position as showninFig'ure 4:. That is to i say, the inner and outer wallswill be substa ntially flat and ,unwrinkled, and the upper and lower walls will be slightly arched andwithoutwrinkles When deflated, the

inner'and'oute'rfwalls 10 and 11 will move atoward each other, and. when deflated the ranged stiffening I have shown one edge of the: to the ad1acent;

of the swimming belt, the. inner and outer walls are connected together" and I preferably provide a vertically arbar 16 sewed between the inner and outer walls to prevent the end; portions from folding or wrin (ling.

Both of these stiffening bars I have pro-- vided with eyelets to receive a tape 17 m-- serte d in one end of the swimming belt and communicating with the hollow lIltQIlOl thereof is an air valve 18. Y

In order to rotect and valve I prefera ly provide a secured at one end to conceal the airfabric flap- 19' teners 20.

In practical use and when the swimming belt is deflated, it is obvious that it may be rolled upon itself into avery small and com-- pact form.

"When it is desired to use the swimming belt, it is partially inflated by inserting it'll: through the air valve, and then placed: around the wearers waist, and the tape 17. isthreaded through the eyelets and drawn; so that the swimming belt makes a snug; fit around the wearers waist.

When this has been done the air pressureon the interior will cause the inner wall of. the swimming belt to accurately fit around, the wearers waist. That is to say, the inner wall will be substantially straight upand down.

Furthermore, the outer wall will also as-- sume a substantially straight up and down, position andwill be prevented from bulging outwardly at its horizontal central por tion, due to the fact that the material of which it is formed has threads arranged longitudinally so it cannot stretch'in that.

' direction.

hen inflated the upper and lower wall members by reason of the bias weave of the- -material will expand andassume substantiallv the position shown in Figure l.

Obviously when the swimming belt has been securely lacedto the wearers waist. it cannot become detached byrany movement. of the operator within the watery-and the operator may if desired dive into the water either head first or feet first without any danger of moving or altering the position of the swimming belt.

Furthermore, by reasonof the fact that the'inner and'ou'ter walls are inflated and project "outwardly from the wearers body, only a slight distance, the swimming belt will not in any way interfere with the action of the operators hands or arms in s imming.

the outer wall of the swimming belt, and provided with snap fas-- rubber, ing permanently united. the ends thereof be- It is not necessary'to deflate the swim-' ming belt each time it is used, and on account of its construction of fabric lined with 'rubber, it will retain the air indefinitely.

By reason of my improved method of constructing the body of the swimming belt, it 'may be done cheaply and easily, and the 'upper and lower wall members will have 'the right shape andcurvature to provide smooth surfaces when inflated, and at the same time the inner and outer walls may move toward and from each other and the fabric of the top and bottom wall members will expand and contract to the proper amount by reason of the fabric being composed of a layer ofv woven material cut on the bias. and a layer of elastic rubber vulcanized to it.

I claim as my invention:

1. An improved. pneumatic swimming belt of substantially circular form and composed of an inner wall formed of flat flexible material, an outer wall formed of flat flexible material and of slightly larger diameter, upper and. lower walls connected to the edges of the inner and outer walls and capable ofexpanding when the inner and outer walls move away from each other, .said parts being united to form a continuous air tight body closed at both ends, and means for connecting together the ends of the swimming belt. I i

. 2. In a pneumatic swimming belt, a body portion of substantially circular formcomprising an inner-and outer wall member, 10 each made of flexible material but substan tially inelastic as against strainsapplied longitudinally, anduppe-r and lower wall members made of flexible material united to the inner and outer wall members and hav- 105 ing a substantial degree of flexibility, said wall members forming an air tight compartment having closed ends, an air valve insertedv therein, and-means for connecting the closed ends together to be applied to the 1 wearers body. 7

3. An improved pneumatic swimming belt composed of an inner wall member comprising a woven fabric with the weave arranged longitudinally and transversely there- 1 of,'and a layer of elastic rubber, an outer wall member made of the same material,

upper and'lower wall members each made of a strip of woven fabric, the weave thereof being on the blas and a strip ofelastic the edges of said wall members being closed, an air valve inserted therein, means for detachably connecting together the ends of the swimming belt.

- LAn improved pneumatic swimming belt composed, of an inner wall member comprising a-woven fabric with the weave arranged longitudinally and transversely thereof, and a layer of elastic rubber, an

outer wall member made of the same material, upper and lower wall members each made of a strip of woven fabric,'the weave thereof being on the bias and a strip of elastic rubber, the edges of said wall members being permanently united, the ends thereof being closed, an air valve inserted therein, means for detachably connecting together the ends of the swimming belt, and a vertically arranged stiffening bar at each end.

5 A method of making pneumatic swimming belts which consists in first providing inner and outer wall members of woven fabric and rubber with one set of threads running longitudinally thereof, then providing upper and lower wall members of woven fabric'and rubber with the threads it to the outer wall member after it has been stretched.

JOHN M. WELCH. 

